I’d give this a 2.5/5 but I refuse to round up.

I have ridden/competed horses for over 25 years, I’m astonished that the MAIN character, Jules, of this book is the sleazy trainer that we all, as amateurs, hate.

You know the type I’m talking about. The ones who steal from you and lie to you about your horse. That’s exactly who the main character of this book is.

The fact that this “trainer”, Jules, admits to convincing owners to buy “nice new tack” to “be shared” and how “expensive supplements could be carefully split with one or two other horses who need a little extra oomph…” - with her own horse in mind, makes me want to scream.

Especially as a horsewoman who has ALSO been the working student, and struggled to even afford a horse of my own. I did it though actual hard work. Not complaining about how hard I worked and then stealing from others to make it happen.

Also her working her horses in crazy heat/humidity til one of them literally got heatstroke.

The only redeeming quality of this book, was the ending, and that MAYBE Jules figured out not to be a horrible person. This isn’t a main character that we should love. I can only hope that in the future books, she becomes a better person. 🤷‍♀️

“Ambition” by Natalie Keller Reinert is appropriated named. This book is a reissue (maybe a re-release?) from 2014, and is the first of an eight part series. In this book, the reader meets Jules, a hard working woman who, at times, is so determined that she’s doing the correct thing without anyone’s input or help that it can drive you bonkers. However, she has grit and know-how and practical sense (at times). She loves horses and has that ambition mentioned in the title - though at times she’s as stubborn as a mule. But, that aside, while I don’t know much about the horse scene and my knowledge of hurricanes is limited to recalling going through two strong tropical storms as a kid, the horse information and the way to go through a hurricane (and spawning tornadoes) sounded pretty authentic (as if the author knew what to do, or it was really well researched). I’m normally not one for horse books, but I can see others really liking this book based upon it being about horses. Quick, fast, and enjoyable read.

I had high hopes for Ambition as I am an equestrian and love to read. I grew up reading middle grade books full of horses and riders, but there aren’t many adult novels centered around this world.

I can appreciate that Natalie Keller Reinert is an equestrian herself. It’s very evident in her writing. Her writing style is solid and does not get in the way of the story. Ambition also has a realistic and interesting plot. I found myself reading it very easily and wanting to return to its pages. Yet where it struggles is its character. I have read many books where characters are not likable. It isn’t necessarily imperative that they be likable in order to enjoy the story. Though it is my preference that they are at least relatable and if not likable, then perhaps character growth and redemption. I made it almost half way through the book when I had to really push to read because of the main character. She became rather insufferable and it’s not particularly enjoyable to read from her POV like that. I am all about reading about strong women who are often not liked because of their ambition. But this character started to misuse her horses and it doesn’t bode well for the storyline.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title.

This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but overall, I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely surrounded in the equestrian world, so if you’re hoping that the horse aspect of the story is more of a background, it’s definitely not. However, as a person who has horses, you can absolutely tell the author is well knowledgeable in what she writes. There’s politics, high stakes, and was quite a page turn towards the end. Would definitely recommend.

I honestly didn't like Jules for most of the book but by the end I could tolerate her. For me, I would have loved to see the character development happen maybe around 30-40% instead of 80% into the book.

Oh my god, FINALLY! A book about horses where it is obvious that the author has been around horses and ridden them and knows all about the sport (eventing) and its nuances! This may sound like I'm praising the bare minimum, but I have only ever once before read a book where it was clear that the author knew what they were talking about when it came to horses. This is truly amazing!

This was so much fun and I really got to enjoy it because of all the accurate horse information.

I was also so happy to see that this was about eventing. I love eventing! I think that every rider, no matter their discipline, needs to train some dressage and cross country (it is so much fun and so good for you and your skills). I loved that we got to see detailed moments of the main character training and competing in each of the three categories of eventing. And I especially loved that we got to see her doing regular chores around the barn. This felt like such a real and relatable portrayal of being an equestrian/horse person, especially a competing one that has big goals.

This was also a super quick read for me and I attribute that to me being so happy about the accuracy that I just had to keep reading. I probably finished this is less than three hours, probably more like two.

I'd recommend this to all the horse girlies! This reminded me of the grown up and eventing version of The A Circuit series (by Georgina Bloomberg), so if you've been looking for another book series like that, I would HIGHLY recommend this to you. And yes, this is a series. And yes, I will be reading the next books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Having read the original edition of 'Ambition,' I was comparing the story as presented in the original text versus this new edition's version. For established fans of the Eventing Series, let me say: do not worry. All the story beats are still very much here. But the narrative is now better than ever!

For one, I think the Becky/Jules and Becky/Pete situations are a lot cleaner in this edition. I better understood Becky's disillusionment with Jules (and later, Pete) with the narrative as presented here. Those issues she had with Jules and Pete existed in the original text, but Becky is SO much easier to understand in this edition!

For another, Jules's attraction and initial confusion about her feelings regarding Pete are finally here! Hooray! Jules is so openly hostile to him that, without the reader knowing that she's feeling the sparks fly whenever she runs into Pete, Pete's pursuit of Jules is hard to rationalize. Seeing the fluttery beginnings of their relationship as Jules puzzles her feelings out is highly satisfying.

But, most importantly, we understand Jules better. She is every bit the proud, prickly, ambitious young woman we know her to be at the beginning of her story, but she's a lot more sympathetic now. The insights into Jules's head have been refined to provide clarity to her motivations and decisions.

This is a beautifully rendered beginning to an incredible series. If you are new to the Eventing series, get ready to climb on board and grab mane for an adventure with Jules, Pete, Mickey, Dynamo, Regina, Lacey, and the gang that you are going to love! I for one cannot wait to revisit the Eventing Series with these awesome new editions!

Natalie Keller Reinert’s writing captures the heart and spirit of competitive eventing with such vivid emotion that you can practically hear the thundering hooves and feel the adrenaline of the course. Jules is a fiercely driven character, and her determination to succeed, even at the risk of losing everything, is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. The romance adds a tender touch to the intense world of horse riding, grounding the story in the push-pull of ambition and connection. Reinert masterfully blends the high-stakes competition with deeply personal struggles, making this a story not just about horses, but about the sacrifices and resilience it takes to pursue your dreams. This is a beautifully written, passionate journey, and I found myself utterly engrossed in it.